Trapper&#39;s stake



Patented Aug. 20, 1946 I TRAPPERS STAKE Ivan W. Wampler, Cambridge City, Ind., and Quinton P. Morgan, Arnoldsburg, W. Va.

Application October 9, 1944, Serial No. 557,826

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in trapping and more particularly to a stake for anchoring traps to prevent trapped animals from escaping.

The principaI object of the present invention is to provide a stake especially for use in trapping water animals wherein th stake is constructed so that when an animal is trapped and starts to swim away, the stake will operate to hold the trap and animal ofi shore to the end that the animal will drown and not have an opportunity to gnaw himself loose.

Other objects and advantage of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the stake and an attached trap.

Figure 2 is a top shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing the upper portion of the stake.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure '1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals plan view of the structure designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 generally refer to the improvedstake. This stake consists of an upright or post 6, preferably sharpened at its lower end so that it can be driven into the bottom of a creek, swamp or other water course.

The upper portion of ferential shoulder I.

Numeral 8 denotes a laterally disposed arm, this arm having a transverse opening 9 in one end for receiving the upper portion of the post 6, to the end that the arm 8 can rest upon the shoulder 1 and be capable of rotatin on the post 6.

The portion of the the post 6 has a circumpost 6 just above the arm 8 is notched inwardly as at I0 and over this notch I0 is a spring arm II having a beveled head I2. It can be seen that the arm 8 can be pushed downwardly over the upper end of the post 6, forcing the head I2 and spring II into the notch Ill and subsequently coming t rest upon the shoulder I. At this position, the spring II returns to the position shown in Figure 3 so as to prevent displacement of the arm 8.

At the off-shore side of the post 6 just above the shoulder I a recess I3 is provided in the post 6 and a shallow circumferentially extending groove I4 in the post 6 may lead to this recess I3,

acting as a guide for receiving a spring-pressed pin l5 slidable in a longitudinal opening I6 in the arm 8, the pin being forced against the post 6 by a spring I1 and havin a knob I8 projecting laterally therefrom and operating in a slot I9 of the arm 8. V

Numeral 20 denotes a conventional trap connected by a chain 2| to a spring 22, the spring, in turn, being secured to the outer end of the arm 8.

It can now be seen, that when the post 6 has been driven in place with the recess I3 facing I off-shore, in the event an animal is caught by the trap 20, his first move is to escape by swimming away and there is a natural tendency when he finds that the post 6 is preventing his escape to circle this element, and in so doing the pin I5 will eventually find its way in the recess I3, thus holding the arm 8 pointed off-shore so that the free end of the arm 8 is projected outwardly from the post 6, whereby the overall length of the flexible connections 22 and 2| together with the trap proper 20 from the outer end of the arm 8 is not suflicient to permit the trapped animal returning to the shore. Thus the animal will be prevented from gnawing himself loose and will ultimately drown.

While the foregoing specification set forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A trappers stake comprising a post, a rotatable arm on the post, trap attaching means at the outer end of the am, said post being provided with an off-shore located recess, said arm being provided with a spring-pressed latch member for entering the recess when the arm is moved to an off-shore position. Y

2. A trappers stake comprising a post, a rotatable arm on the post, trap attaching means at the outer end of the arm, said post being provided with an off-shore located recess, said arm being provided with a spring-pressed latch mem ber for entering the recess when the arm is moved to an oiT-shore position, said post being formed with a guide groove for uiding the latch member to the recess.

IVAN W. WAMPLER. QUINTON P, MORGAN, 

